Show Media Item - The Complete Interview - DazdyaThe Complete Interview - Dazdya
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Here is the complete interview as seen in the Planets Newsletter - Enjoy!
PN: Tell us a little about yourself.
D: I am a radical left-hander, religiously opposed to the right-handed status quo and suspicious of the ambidextrous. I have callusses from attempting to play the saxophone, and am currently overlooking the little canal outside my house while preparing a dungeons & dragons adventure. Also, I can kill you with my brain.
PN: When did you first start playing?
D: I started playing in college, somewhere in the early 90s.
D: I prefer to play the fascists, because they fit my tactics very well. They are full of little tricks, that you can mix to fit the situation, instead of relying on one overpowering racial advantage.
PN: What do you build on first three turns with them (or your general opening strategy)?
D: I tend to build a few coldpains first, mixed with medium freighters or ore condensers. I am not a believer in the large freighter strategy, I usually build only a few per game. Then I get some money by pillaging the closest low-government natives, while I develop a money planet and get my duranium fix for that first Merlin.
PN: How many games do you play at the same time?
D: When I think I have more free time coming up, I sometimes go to four or five games, but I usually stay with two or three, so that I can give them the proper attention. Also, you can’t always tell how much time you will have three months ahead, of course.
PN: What types of games do you like playing most?
D: I like campaign games. It’s nice to have a little mini-game on the side, gambling and bluffing with race abilities, and wondering what new surprises the enemy will have. Unfortunately, all the ‘normal’ campaign games host three times a week, but I think I will stick to them regardless, because the wild variety of other games now is very unpredictable, and you never know what you’ll get. For instance, I just found out that I am currently in a zero-ally game, something which I didn’t notice until turn 50 or so. There are so many settings to keep track of, that you always get surprised. This is not the way it should be.
PN: What's your most memorable game, and what made it so interesting?
D:I fought in a sector called Helios, number 46501, that went on forever, and eventually ended by vote. I spent a whole lot of time trying to stop Tom N’s gorbies and their inexorable advance. Not easy to do for the fascists in a standard setting, but it does give you an excuse to use the word inexorable in a sentence.
PN: Name a memorable friend and/or a memorable foe, and what made them stand out.
D:I would have to name Robijntje, because I always keep an eye on him. He’s dangerous, especially in the early game. Wipe him out, whenever you can (my name is Dazdya, and I approve this message).
D: My favourite tactic is the merlin-pillage, followed by the ill wind-mkt-move. You don’t often get to do it, but turning enemy colonists into the torps you use to fight his fleet is very satisfying. Also, I like damaged gorbies without fuel, so that I can snipe the refueling effort. The deth specula stealth upgrade is fantastic for that.
PN: What do you think is the most important skill for a Planets player to succeed?
D: I think planets-players do best if they have access to a computer. Beyond that, it’s important to avoid tunnel vision and try to see what the enemy sees.
PN: Describe the process you use to make a turn.
D:This varies wildly by game. I try to keep my process organic, so that I don’t get stuck in the same habits. Note: this has been known to backfire on me.
PN: What is your favorite thing about Panets Nu?
D: It lets me play one of my favourite games. And I get to post nonsense in the feed. And we get to have PlanetsCons . And I get to act as if I know things. And in the end none of it is serious. And it’s a good outlet for my European nationalism. And sometimes I get to practice reading my German and Spanish. And I can make silly lists from time to time.
PN: Is there anything else you would like to add?
D:Yes. The upcoming PlanetsCon will be in Ohio, october 2016 I think at the Advance the colours convention.
Thank you to Dazdya!
PN: Tell us a little about yourself.
D: I am a radical left-hander, religiously opposed to the right-handed status quo and suspicious of the ambidextrous. I have callusses from attempting to play the saxophone, and am currently overlooking the little canal outside my house while preparing a dungeons & dragons adventure. Also, I can kill you with my brain.
PN: When did you first start playing?
D: I started playing in college, somewhere in the early 90s.
PN: What's your favorite race and why?
D: I prefer to play the fascists, because they fit my tactics very well. They are full of little tricks, that you can mix to fit the situation, instead of relying on one overpowering racial advantage.
PN: What do you build on first three turns with them (or your general opening strategy)?
D: I tend to build a few coldpains first, mixed with medium freighters or ore condensers. I am not a believer in the large freighter strategy, I usually build only a few per game. Then I get some money by pillaging the closest low-government natives, while I develop a money planet and get my duranium fix for that first Merlin.
PN: How many games do you play at the same time?
D: When I think I have more free time coming up, I sometimes go to four or five games, but I usually stay with two or three, so that I can give them the proper attention. Also, you can’t always tell how much time you will have three months ahead, of course.
PN: What types of games do you like playing most?
D: I like campaign games. It’s nice to have a little mini-game on the side, gambling and bluffing with race abilities, and wondering what new surprises the enemy will have. Unfortunately, all the ‘normal’ campaign games host three times a week, but I think I will stick to them regardless, because the wild variety of other games now is very unpredictable, and you never know what you’ll get. For instance, I just found out that I am currently in a zero-ally game, something which I didn’t notice until turn 50 or so. There are so many settings to keep track of, that you always get surprised. This is not the way it should be.
PN: What's your most memorable game, and what made it so interesting?
D:I fought in a sector called Helios, number 46501, that went on forever, and eventually ended by vote. I spent a whole lot of time trying to stop Tom N’s gorbies and their inexorable advance. Not easy to do for the fascists in a standard setting, but it does give you an excuse to use the word inexorable in a sentence.
PN: Name a memorable friend and/or a memorable foe, and what made them stand out.
D:I would have to name Robijntje, because I always keep an eye on him. He’s dangerous, especially in the early game. Wipe him out, whenever you can (my name is Dazdya, and I approve this message).
PN: Give an example of excellent tactics you've used or seen (w/ details so readers can view it, if possible).
D: My favourite tactic is the merlin-pillage, followed by the ill wind-mkt-move. You don’t often get to do it, but turning enemy colonists into the torps you use to fight his fleet is very satisfying. Also, I like damaged gorbies without fuel, so that I can snipe the refueling effort. The deth specula stealth upgrade is fantastic for that.
PN: What do you think is the most important skill for a Planets player to succeed?
D: I think planets-players do best if they have access to a computer. Beyond that, it’s important to avoid tunnel vision and try to see what the enemy sees.
PN: Describe the process you use to make a turn.
D:This varies wildly by game. I try to keep my process organic, so that I don’t get stuck in the same habits. Note: this has been known to backfire on me.
PN: What is your favorite thing about Panets Nu?
D: It lets me play one of my favourite games. And I get to post nonsense in the feed. And we get to have PlanetsCons . And I get to act as if I know things. And in the end none of it is serious. And it’s a good outlet for my European nationalism. And sometimes I get to practice reading my German and Spanish. And I can make silly lists from time to time.
PN: Is there anything else you would like to add?
D:Yes. The upcoming PlanetsCon will be in Ohio, october 2016 I think at the Advance the colours convention.
Tom Graves is the main organiser, I would like to thank him in advance. It’s way less work than it seems now, Tom, and in the end it will be awesome.In august 2017, the plan is to have a PlanetsCon in Finland, by SMN and some of the other Finnish players. After that, the agenda is less clear, but whoever wants to organise stuff can always get help from many of the players. Spacesquad and Thin Lizzy, who did the first Con, me and Robijntje, who did the Con last year, and people like Mentar, Frostriese, Emork and Madinson, among many others, will gladly offer advice and help.
Our network is less advanced across the pacific, but the google map with planets players (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zvdGjTeKc3xM.kG70uUFGy3gM)can help people find each other as well. See you soon at one of these meetings.
Thank you to Dazdya!